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Hickey did confirm that he recently met with Wallace to discuss the wide receiver’s frustrations — Wallace wasn’t happy with the way he was used last season — and said they “had a good conversation.”

“We have an open line of communication,” Hickey said. “We always feel like we have an open door for all of our players, whether it be the coaching staff, myself, always keeping that open line of communication.”

Hickey later added: “It’s a team, right? We have to work together. That’s what we’re about, is team. We win as a team, we lose as a team.”

As for the the perception that Joe Philbin has a “my-way-or-the-highway” approach to coaching — he has famously parted ways with a number of talented, but opinionated, players in his first three years — Hickey neither confirmed the phenomenon nor knocked it down.

“I think Joe is a principled leader,” Hickey said. “I know he cares for his players, puts them in a great plan and works together with them. Our goal is to get better. That’s what we’re going to do.”

It will take some doing.

For the first time in years, the Dolphins don’t have a blank check in free agency. They’re right up against the projected $140 million salary cap and are expected to cut several high-priced but under-performing veterans to free up needed space.

Finnegan, Dannell Ellerbe, Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson are among those believed to be in danger.

But their fates are still, for the time being, unknown. Hickey went to great lengths to ensure that on Wednesday.

“We’re going through our process, and in that process we’re going to be methodical about it. And that’s going to lead us to decisions that we’ll be making in the upcoming weeks,” Hickey said.